ID :
81593
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 21:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/81593
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Okada says dispatch of Japanese troops to Afghanistan difficult
NEW YORK, Sept. 24 Kyodo -
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Wednesday told his Group of Eight
counterparts it is difficult to send Self-Defense Forces personnel to
Afghanistan.
Instead of the SDF dispatch, Okada said Tokyo plans to focus its future
assistance to the war-battered country on providing vocational training and
helping create jobs for local people, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry
officials.
The remarks were made during a working dinner the G-8 foreign ministers held in
New York on the sidelines of U.N. events, where they agreed to enhance efforts
toward a stabilized Afghanistan and to assist the country in rebuilding itself
through efforts led by Afghanis.
The foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Russia and
the United States as well as Japan also discussed and shared concern over
Iran's uranium enrichment activities, and confirmed a policy of responding to
the issue with a harmonized act of the international community.
Okada told the dinner that the international community needs to come up with a
stern response if Tehran fails to seriously respond to the concerns of the
international community.
He also touched on North Korea by saying that the country's development of
nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles can never be tolerated.
The G-8 countries are stepping up efforts to back Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Among them is a conference of relevant countries in June to discuss ways to
stabilize the two countries.
The five U.N. Security Council permanent members and Germany are scheduled to
hold talks with Iran in Geneva on Oct. 1 on the country's nuclear ambitions.
But Tehran has repeatedly said it will not use the meeting to negotiate away
its right to its nuclear program, which it claims is for peaceful purposes.
The foreign ministers of the five permanent members -- Britain, France, China,
Russia and the United States -- and Germany met in New York earlier Wednesday
and agreed that Iran should give a ''serious response'' during their Geneva
talks, according to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
==Kyodo
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Wednesday told his Group of Eight
counterparts it is difficult to send Self-Defense Forces personnel to
Afghanistan.
Instead of the SDF dispatch, Okada said Tokyo plans to focus its future
assistance to the war-battered country on providing vocational training and
helping create jobs for local people, according to Japanese Foreign Ministry
officials.
The remarks were made during a working dinner the G-8 foreign ministers held in
New York on the sidelines of U.N. events, where they agreed to enhance efforts
toward a stabilized Afghanistan and to assist the country in rebuilding itself
through efforts led by Afghanis.
The foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Russia and
the United States as well as Japan also discussed and shared concern over
Iran's uranium enrichment activities, and confirmed a policy of responding to
the issue with a harmonized act of the international community.
Okada told the dinner that the international community needs to come up with a
stern response if Tehran fails to seriously respond to the concerns of the
international community.
He also touched on North Korea by saying that the country's development of
nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles can never be tolerated.
The G-8 countries are stepping up efforts to back Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Among them is a conference of relevant countries in June to discuss ways to
stabilize the two countries.
The five U.N. Security Council permanent members and Germany are scheduled to
hold talks with Iran in Geneva on Oct. 1 on the country's nuclear ambitions.
But Tehran has repeatedly said it will not use the meeting to negotiate away
its right to its nuclear program, which it claims is for peaceful purposes.
The foreign ministers of the five permanent members -- Britain, France, China,
Russia and the United States -- and Germany met in New York earlier Wednesday
and agreed that Iran should give a ''serious response'' during their Geneva
talks, according to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
==Kyodo
